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Right now is pretty much the way it was visually every year between 2004 and 2007, I spent the subsequent years in Phuket so can't comment on them.

I would say it is about the worse for 'this time' of year, mid February, that I've seen in a very long time. About 4-5 years ago I believe, March had visibility you could measure in meters and a dusty brown air. Suspect this is not near the worse for this year.

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Believe some info on what PM10 (10 microns or less) means is needed. There is also a push for a PM2.5 (2.5 microns) as it is believed to be significantly worse for health. To put the size into perspective, the human hair average is around 100-150 microns.

The PM-10 standard includes particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (0.0004 inches or one-seventh the width of a human hair). EPA's health-based national air quality standard for PM-10 is 50 µg/m3 (measured as an annual mean) and 150 µg/m3 (measured as a daily concentration). Major concerns for human health from exposure to PM-10 include: effects on breathing and respiratory systems, damage to lung tissue, cancer, and premature death. The elderly, children, and people with chronic lung disease, influenza, or asthma, are especially sensitive to the effects of particulate matter. Acidic PM-10 can also damage human-made materials and is a major cause of reduced visibility in many parts of the U.S. New scientific studies suggest that fine particles (smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) may cause serious adverse health effects. As a result, EPA is considering setting a new standard for PM-2.5. In addition, EPA is reviewing whether revisions to the current PM-10 standards are warranted.

That's a great map, thanks, you can see once you zoom in that there's a shed load of fires to the North and West of us so my guess would be that CM itself is not the direct cause of the current problems.